Eswatini's Flora - siSwati Names and Uses
Compiled by Chris Long, © December 2005
SiSwati names and uses, arranged by alphabetically by botanical name:
| Bauhinia umdlandlovu, lusololo, | |
| galpinii | |
| Timber: | Timber |
| Cultural: | Purifies monkey & mongoose for men. Ancestor communication. |
| Fodder: | Forage & fodder |
| Firewood: | Firewood. But do not burn in planting season; bad crops ensue |
| Household: | Necklaces from seed |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal. Roots are anthelmintic. |
| purpurea * | |
| variegata * (Orchid Tree) khubakhulu, | |
| Bolusanthus | |
| speciosus (Tree Wisteria) umhhohlo, umhohlo, | |
| Timber: | Many uses for the hard termite proof timber |
| Fodder: | Browsed by game. Monkeys eat flowers |
| Firewood: | Termite resistant wood is good firewood. |
| Medicinal: | Bark & roots medicinal for stomach & abdominal disorders. |
| Balanites umnono, manono, | |
| maughamii subsp. maughamii (Torchwood) liphambo, umnulu, umnunu, umnununu, | |
| Cultural: | Decoction of roots & bark for divining & to ward off evil spirits. Bathing in water in which the bark has been infused is stimulating. |
| Insecticidal: | Fruits are lethal for snails, some aquatic life including bilharzia fluke. |
| Firewood: | Firewood. |
| Household: | Tool handles & crafts. Seeds yield a tastelees, colorless oil which burns with a bright flame. The kernels can be used as torches. |
| Medicinal: | Bark, fruit, roots for emetics & bilharzia. Fruits dropped in water lethal for bilharzia flukes and snails. |
| Food: | Fruits are edible but little used. |
| pedicellaris subsp. pedicellaris (Small Torchwood) liphambo, umnunu, | |
| Cultural: | Roots used for chewing when divining. |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal |
| Food: | Fruits are edible but little used. |
| Bridelia | |
| cathartica (Blue Sweetberry) umnwangasi, | |
| Medicinal: | Fruit medicinal. |
| Food: | Edible fruit produced in big quantities. |
| subsp. cathartica | |
| subsp. melanthesoides var. melanthesoides | |
| micrantha (Velvet Sweetberry) imphisimakhata, mahlombe, umhlalamagwababa, umhlalamahubhulu, | |
| Timber: | Branches used for kraal construction. |
| Household: | Durable, termite resistant wood makes good furniture. |
| Medicinal: | Bark for eyes & for asthma. Root for stomach pains Powdered root mixed with oil and fats can relieve headaches. Leaf sap for sore eyes. |
| Food: | Edible fruit & leaves |
| Buxus | |
| natalensis (Natal Boxwood) umhluhlumbazi, | |
| Household: | Close-grained wood for carving and instruments. |
| Bersama ndiyaza, | |
| lucens (Glossy White Ash) sindiyandiya, | |
| Cultural: | Lightning protection |
| Medicinal: | Bark & roots relieve menstrual pain, nervous disorders & impotency. |
| swinnyi | |
| Cultural: | Lightning protection |
| Medicinal: | Bitter bark used in traditional medicine for a variety of ailments. |
| tysoniana | |
| Cultural: | Lightning protection. |
| Medicinal: | Bitter bark in traditional medicine for impotency & menstrual pains. |
| Berchemia | |
| discolor (Bird Plum) uvuka, | |
| Timber: | Hard, handsome timber. |
| Dyes: | Bark yields brown or purple dye. |
| Household: | Wood can be used for furniture. |
| Medicinal: | Bark has medicinal properties. |
| Food: | Edible fruit. Date-like taste. High sugar and Vitamin C content. |
| zeyheri (Red Ivory) sineyi, tineyi, umneyi, | |
| Timber: | Fine, hard, durable timber. Brtight red to pink heartwood. |
| Fodder: | Fodder |
| Firewood: | Fuelwood |
| Household: | Handicrafts, furniture & ornaments. Also for knobkerries. |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal for baby's navel & for anaemia. Bark for back pains. |
| Food: | Edible fruit made into sugary sweetmeat or condiment. |
| Begonia | |
| sutherlandii subsp. sutherlandii (Wild Orange Begonia) uqamamawene, | |
| Cultural: | Protective charm. |
| Medicinal: | Treatment of heartburn |
| Berula | |
| erecta (Giant Water Parsnip) ibophwani, | |
| Medicinal: | Analgesic for toothache |
| subsp. erecta | |
| subsp. thunbergii | |
| Buddleja umbatacwepe, | |
| auriculata | |
| Food: | Leaves used for tea. |
| saligna | |
| Timber: | Hard, strong fenceposts |
| Honey: | Bee fodder |
| Fodder: | Forage & fodder |
| Firewood: | Excellent fuelwood. |
| Medicinal: | Leaves for coughs & colds. Roots purgative & to induce vomiting. |
| salviifolia | |
| Honey: | Plant popular with beekeepers for honey production. |
| Cultural: | Used for magical purposes. |
| Household: | Tough wood for fishing rods. |
| Medicinal: | Decoction of roots for coughs, colds & colic. Extracts for sores. Infusion of leaves as eye lotion. |
| Food: | Leaves used for tea. |
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